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Hairdresser communication?

(44 Posts)
Quizzer Sat 29-Aug-20 11:48:30

Does anyone else have trouble communicating with hairdressers? I obviously don't speak the same language. I have short very straight hair which I am told is difficult to cut. Recently asking a hairdresser not to cut my hair too short at the back, not above my hairline, resulted in just that, which developed into a grey frizzy regrowth after a week. On another occasion, the hairdressers suggestion to 'give it a lift' with the tongs resulted in a complete Shirley Temple! I have tried taking in the photograph of the style I want but this seems impossible to copy.

Quizzer Sat 29-Aug-20 11:49:48

Should have said photo of self, so I know that that cut IS possible with my hair.

GrannyGravy13 Sat 29-Aug-20 12:03:09

That is why my hair is long!!
I visited a very expensive stylist who cut my hair before an even more expensive colourist coloured it........four hours and £££‘s lost ??‍♀️?‍♀️ Couldn’t achieve the same result at home had six months of looking like Wurzel Gummidge whilst it grew out ?

I decided there and then that it was perfectly acceptable to have long hair over 40, I now have a long bob over 60!!

Oopsadaisy4 Sat 29-Aug-20 12:31:50

Quizzer change your hairdresser ASAP.

GG13 my hair is very long and I’m nearer to 70 than 60!
But I do wear it up most of the time, unless it’s straightened straight from the hairdresser, then I luxuriate in straight glossy hair, it actually swishes! (Although my glasses slide from the top of my head, it’s soooo flat)

BlueBelle Sat 29-Aug-20 12:41:52

Change hairdresser quizzer
I have short choppy straight hair and I get good cuts I ve only been with my hairdressers for four cuts and she’s found her way round my hair well, my last hairdresser died in a freak accident early this year, very suddenly and I was really scared to change but this young lass has fitted in well I pay £20 and it takes less than an hour
Short hair is harder to cut but far from impossible for a good cutter so I m going to suggest your hairdresser isn’t a good cutter for short hair

FlexibleFriend Sat 29-Aug-20 13:07:01

I changed hair dressers because the previous one always left me with odd straggly bits that had been missed and it drove me nuts. My current hairdresser has been brilliant from the first cut. I have very short choppy cut hair and take a photo with me every time. I don't expect a carbon copy of the photo as we all have different hair but she gets very close to what I ask for. My hair is fine but plenty of it, and weirdly over lock down has gone very wavy and I hate it, I need to get it cut asap.

TwiceAsNice Sat 29-Aug-20 15:56:39

I also suggest you change hairdresser ASAP. I’d had the same hairdresser in Wales for about 15 years and she cut it great. Moved 4 years ago and first hairdresser was awful but swapped to another even closer to where I live and he is fantastic, cuts it exactly as I want. We have a lovely chat when I go and he even remembers what we chatted about last time!

Caro57 Sun 30-Aug-20 09:39:56

Change hairdresser- if your hair is ‘difficult to cut’ they are not the right ones for you. May take a bit of a hunt around - ask friends etc for comments on their hairdressers and maybe book just a consultation with one or two before you decided who has the honour of cutting your hair

nipsmum Sun 30-Aug-20 09:40:52

I have an older male hairdresser. He taught hairdressing in a College years ago and is the best stylist I've ever had and I've been using hairdressers regularly for almost 60 years. He also cuts my daughters and my 3 granddaughters. Its too bad you don't live in Aberdeen.

CrazyGrandma2 Sun 30-Aug-20 09:44:27

Find a new hairdresser as clearly not good at cutting hair. I recently went from hair below my shoulders to a very short cut and it's amazing. Wish I'd let her do it years ago.

Quizzer Sun 30-Aug-20 09:46:04

To all those who have suggested I change my hairdresser. I have done so too many times to count, but still seem to have difficulty in communication. Hence my question whether I speak the same language! confused

SparklyGrandma Sun 30-Aug-20 09:46:34

Tongs on curly hair is a no no. I went to a hairdresser who would always forget and use them. I then tried an expensive chain who left long strands not cut.
Now have marvellous hairdresser who gets into a sleek grey Bob with no tongs!

donna1964 Sun 30-Aug-20 09:51:26

As everyone else has said...change your hairdresser. Its not always a good thing taking photos in of hairstyles and saying I would like my hair to like the photo as everyones hair is different in texture etc...a good hairdresser will tell you that. Maybe if you google your hairtype along with 'hairstyles' along side it you will get pictures of hairstyles to fit your type of hair. x

Olive53 Sun 30-Aug-20 09:55:47

TBH I wouldn’t have paid. Have had this on previous occasions and didn’t pay

Bluedaisy Sun 30-Aug-20 10:05:28

I was a hairdresser for 30 years, without seeing your hair it’s difficult but I suggest saying words like “don’t scalp me” and “please use a small round brush for lift, not tongs’’ (personally I don’t know why they are using tongs anyway? Tell them you want it feathered around your neck and face, not too short and ‘layered’ not chopped into too much! These words might hopefully make them understand, good luck. If it’s any help I too have same problems getting through to hairdressers cutting mine too but seems easier with a slightly older person than fresh out of training.

fluff Sun 30-Aug-20 10:05:44

Okay , I own a hairdressing salon, so here is my advice , if your hairdresser isn’t doing as you ask , change hairdresser, also ask to speak to the manager if unhappy and point out what the stylist has done wrong, a photo of the style you would like is always helpful, but if the photo is not if yourself , remember that your hair may be very different. If you see someone who has a really great haircut, stop them and ask where they had it done , most people would see this as a compliment and only be too happy to recommend their hairdresser, we have had many clients come through this method. But most importantly take the hairdressers advice, if your type of hair isn’t suited to a particular style or takes more maintenance than you are prepared for, then it probably isn’t for you. You would be surprised at the odd impossible requests that we get, such as ... I want my hair cut to make it look longer !?? I want to be able to just wash and leave my hair, but want it to look like this elaborately styled example, and the best one was a client who expected her permanent hair colour to never need doing again , she didn’t expect to get any regrowth because it was permanent !

Bluedaisy Sun 30-Aug-20 10:06:39

Sorry my grammar is awful this morning, bit stressed and tired ? today but hopefully you get the gist

Mollygo Sun 30-Aug-20 10:21:11

Bluedaisy I’m going to use your “don’t scalp me” method on my next cut. On the whole I like my cut -I have it quite short, but last time I asked her not to take too much off at the sides so my head wouldn't look like a tube.
Mind you, I think she misses hearing the negative words and hears “ . . . take too much off, so my head . . . would look like a tube” so maybe “don’t scalp me” would be dangerous!

Gingergirl Sun 30-Aug-20 10:24:20

I would go elsewhere. They’re not all like that!

Mrsdof Sun 30-Aug-20 10:25:31

I have very short choppy hair with an undercut which I love. I went on Pinterest to find some styles I liked, printed off the pictures and took them into my hairdresser (of 5 yrs standing) and said that is what I would like but appreciated my hair was probably different and if he could do his best. I am very happy with the result. I have fine hair but lots of it and also a double crown to contend with but he did an excellent job. As suggested previously ask friends/strangers where they get their hair done and give them a go. Good luck! smile

Riggie Sun 30-Aug-20 10:35:34

When I moved away from my then home area I would do a regular visit to visit family and my wonderful hairdresser. Sadly he emigrated overseas and that was too far...sad

Since then the best cut I had was when I was temporarily away from home for a few weeks and I went to one of those walk in, see whoever is free type of places!

kittypaws49 Sun 30-Aug-20 10:51:04

This is why my husband now cuts my hair , sometimes with better results than others.
I gave up on my old stylist because he was often rude, once he told me that if I ever walked in with long grey hair ( I was still colouring it at that time ) he would throw me out ! Another time , after he'd cut my hair and left the junior to dry it, he proceeded to heap compliments on the young woman he was working on, " Oh you're so beautiful, what a fantastic face etc " . This really made me feel like I was on the scrap heap. A hairdresser should make all their clients feel good.
So, if you're not happy for any reason, change them !

Jens Sun 30-Aug-20 10:51:54

I have dead straight, now silver, short hair. I live on
Isle of Man, Maybe they do things a bit differently.
I go to a unisex hairdresser, it’s actually a barber, but it’s a lady doing the cutting. I wash it that morning. Walk in, wait, gets cut in 20 minutes flat, it’s fantastic, costs me a tenner.
No washing, colouring, gooey stuff.
Love it.

crimpedhalo Sun 30-Aug-20 11:03:12

I followed a few hairdressers on Facebook. Some post photos of clients before and after styles, colour, cuts etc. I took the plunge and messaged one and had a cut, followed by hilites on another day.

These are my tips....it's your hair and you 'know it'
I do not hold long conversations when having a cut, trim or restyle but keep an eye on what is going on
I frequently pause the cutting to check on progress

Graygirl Sun 30-Aug-20 11:13:56

Next time you see a person with a good short cut, get nosey ask where they go and if it's what your thinking of can you take a picture. That's how I found mine, most people will be flattered.